Nissan's design chief has gone on the record stating that the facelifted and next-generation versions of both the Altima and Pulsar sedans will have a sportier aesthetic.

At the Paris motor show, The Car Connection spoke to Nissan design chief Shiro Nakamura about what he has in store for the Pulsar sedan (known as the Sentra in the US), Altima and the next-generation US market Maxima — a front-wheel drive "sports sedan" that sits above the Altima.

Nakamura told the American publication, "With the minor change [for the Sentra and Altima] we will have a front end very strong, consistent with the new lineup — Murano, Maxima, Sentra, Altima — all very coherent".

The Sentra will be the first of the two sedans to receive its facelift, either at the end of 2015 or the beginning of 2016.

He cautioned that with the Sentra and Altima doing well sales-wise, at least in the US, the company was cautious about going too far with its redesigns.

According to Nakamura, "the next generation [Sentra and Altima] are also becoming more sporty, but still very affordable and practical — not just sporty. We don't want to go, wow, that's a nice-looking car, but it's a small interior. That's not our intention."

It's not known at this stage when, or even if, the changes planned for the American Sentra and Altima sedans will flow through to the Pulsar and Altima sold in Australia.